


Blown Away

by alecsangel (angel)



Series: Nine Lives [6]
Category: Dark Angel
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2006-03-12
Updated: 2006-03-12
Packaged: 2017-11-23 23:34:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/627763
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angel/pseuds/alecsangel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alec wrestles with dreams as an old friend returns to TC.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blown Away

Alec stood beside Max in the woods, listening carefully with sensitive ears. Max's even, shallow breathing was easily ignored as he focused on the other sounds around them. He dismissed them each in turn as a squirrel scampering up a tree or an owl hooting in the distance.

A twig snapped and Alec spun silently on his heel toward the noise. Max mirrored his movements and they came face-to-face with the shadow of a man.

He stepped slowly into the moonlight; his features suddenly clear.

"Ben?" Max's voice shook and her eyes darted from him to Alec and back again.

He snorted, " Huh? My designation's 494."

Max's eyes widened, both at his declaration and the Glock that he brought to bear. Alec stood frozen in his spot, unsure of what was going on.

The shot was deafening, drowning out Alec's screams, "Max! MAX!"

~~

"MAX!" Alec shot up from the bed. She awoke immediately, reaching out to gently touch his shoulder. She knew that he needed to realize where he was by himself or else he could lash out. She frowned, concerned by his erratic breathing and frantically darting eyes. He turned to her with his fists raised when he felt her touch.

Relaxing at the sight of her alive and well, he enveloped her in an embrace, breathing, "Max." She rubbed his back, whispering reassurances to him until he calmed and pulled away.

"Are you okay?" She asked and he nodded in response. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"No," he said softly, biting his lower lip. "I just want to hold you and know that you're alright." He lay down on the bed, drawing her down with him and hugging her tightly. She kissed his forehead, cuddling him.

~~! Terminal City - Command Center !~~

Alec yawned, rubbing his forehead with one hand while absently twirling a pen with the other. A pencil landed directly on the paper that he was staring at and he looked up to see Mole grinning at him. The lizard-man took the cigar out of his mouth and gestured towards the offices with it.

"Go take a nap." It wasn't a request; it was an order.

Alec shook his head and looked back down at the list of new transgenics in TC. He had read the first name three times before he was suddenly pulled out of his chair and thrown over the shoulder of a decidedly scaly transhuman.

"Hey!" He protested, trying to get out of Mole's hold on him.

At the door to Alec's office, Mole set him back on his feet and put his hands on the younger transgenics shoulders to keep him from moving. "Remember what happened the last time you were too tired. You had a damn seizure! Now, you," he poked a finger into Alec's chest, "are going to go in there," he banged a fist against the office door, "and get some sleep."

"I'm fine, Mole." Alec tried to brush past him, but Mole wouldn't have it.

"No, you're not fine." He glared at Alec. "Go. Now!"

Alec's shoulders slumped in defeat. He sighed and opened the door to his office, slipping inside quickly. He closed the door and moved to sit on the wooden chair behind the desk, pulling a file folder out of the top drawer.

"You're supposed to be sleeping." Mole shouted through the door and Alec sighed again, loudly.

"Don't you have something to do?" Alec called.

"What? You don't think watching over you is a full time job?"

Alec rolled his eyes, but plodded over to the ratty old couch that had been moved into his office from the main room. As soon as his head hit the cushion, he was snoring lightly.

Mole nodded, pleased with himself, as he sat out side the door, listening to Alec's even breathing.

An hour later, Max wandered through headquarters, nodding to everyone who said hi to her. She stopped short at the sight of Mole leaning a chair against the door to Alec's office and polishing his sawed-off shotgun.

"Any particular reason you're on sentry duty?" Max asked, walking up to him.

Mole shrugged, making sure to lower his voice before he spoke and hoping that she'd take the hint. "Somebody had to make him take a nap."

"You got him to go to sleep?" Max's jaw dropped in shock. Sure, he slept when he was with her, but his nightmares had increased this past week and he hadn't been sleeping much at all.

"Listen for yourself." Mole gestured to the deep, even breathing that was audible from inside the room.

Max nodded, giving Mole a small smile before turning and heading toward the platform where Dix and Luke were working on the computers.

"Anything new to report?" She asked, standing behind Dix.

"The perimeter guards noticed a man hanging around the northeast corner this afternoon, but they said that he never attempted to get into the city."

Max frowned. Their apartment was near that section of fence and she didn't like the thoughts of people being over there, whether or not they tried to get into the city.

"Let me know if he shows up again or anyone else is hanging out over there."

"Will do." He said, returning his full attention to his computer. She moved to sit in the chair beside Dix.

"Have you come up with anything about the Familiars?"

"I found some random stuff in a government database. It was the just the basics though, so it didn't have any information that we don't already have. There were some encrypted files though. I'm still trying to crack them."

"Keep me informed."

"Sure." He responded. "Oh, and the communicators that you and Alec asked for are almost ready. I've still got to put some finishing touches on them."

"Thanks," she said, remembering that they had asked Dix to make them ear-piece transmitters for an upcoming mission, "but keep working on this Familiar thing. It's more important."

"Okay." He began typing furiously on the keyboard again and she got up and walked to the railing to observe the hustle and bustle of the command center.

Several transgenics and transhumans were milling around, carrying folders or papers. She recognized all of them, but had rarely worked with any of them. She usually stuck with her usual group of friends to work with. Alec, Mole, Luke, and Dix were the people that she associated with in headquarters. Occasionally, Joshua was around too, although he was usually painting. Sandi and Gila spent most of their time in the Medical Center, but she knew that Alec visited Sandi everyday so that they could talk or just hang out with each other. Even Sean was becoming more and more a part of their group every day.

"Hey, Max," Luke called and she turned around. "Sandi's looking for Alec. She's on channel 4." He tossed her a radio and she immediately checked the channel setting and pressed the button to talk.

"Sandi? This is Max."

"Where's Alec?" Her voice sounded panicked. "He was supposed to meet me twenty minutes ago. I haven't seen him."

"He's fine. He's sleeping."

Sandi breathed a sigh of relief. "Sleeping? I was under the impression that he didn't do too much of that anymore."

"Yeah. Well, Mole's standing guard outside his room. I get the idea that he was forced into taking a nap."

"Well, whatever works, right?"

Max nodded, remembering to speak into the radio after a moment. "Yeah. When he wakes up, I'll send him your way."

"That would be great. Thanks, Max."

~~! 30 Minutes Later - Medical Center - Sandi's Office !~~

Alec reclined on the couch that sat across from Sandi's desk. She was sitting crossed legged beside him, facing his direction. A notepad rested in her lap and she was gesturing with the black pen in her right hand.

"So, it was dark and you were in the woods?"

He nodded, adding, "With Max."

It was her turn to nod as she looked down at her notes. "Then you showed up?"

"And shot Max." He bit the skin around his thumbnail, staring down at the hideous floral pattern on the couch. "I think that's a bad omen, Sandi."

"I think it's just your subconscious showing you your worst fears."

He leaned his head back against the couch and thought about that. It was certainly possible. He was afraid that he would hurt Max, both physically and emotionally, with their relationship. He had always had that fear with relationships, since Rachel and especially since he'd been held captive by White.

"What are you thinking about?" Sandi asked softly.

"Hurting Max." He replied. They were honest in this room. It was a rule from the beginning of their sessions together.

"Alec," she reached out to turn his head toward her. When his eyes met hers, she continued. "I know I've said this many, many times before, but getting hurt is just a risk to take when entering into a relationship. You and Max both knew that when you decided to be together."

"You knew that when you started getting serious with Ryan and look what happened."

"This isn't about me or Ryan or our failed ..."

"Horrible."

"Short."

"Messy."

"Relationship." Sandi finally stopped them. "This is about you and Max."

"Do you think that I'd be better off alone?" Alec asked suddenly. His gaze dropped away from hers and he absently traced the pattern on the sofa with his fingertips.

"No, I don't. I think that you need Max in your life, Alec. Manticore wasn't big on giving us love. It's something that we've had to find for ourselves and it's something that we need in our lives."

He nodded in agreement.

"Have you been talking with Max about your feelings?"

"Yeah, a little. It's hard though."

"It always is. Keep trying though. Don't let communication stand between you and her."

"I will. I really do want to have a relationship with her. I'm just scared."

"I know you are." Sandi slid across the couch, taking him in her arms. "Just remember, I'm always here to talk if you need me."

"Thanks, Sandi." He kissed her forehead, embracing her tightly before standing up. "I'd better go. Too much to do, too little time to get it done."

"Do you want me to give you something to help you sleep?" She stood up quickly, bouncing off the couch.

"No, I'll be okay." He replied, moving toward the door. "So, I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"Same time, same place." She replied, nodding as he turned and left the room.

~~! Later that night - Alec's apartment !~~

Max lay, on Alec's bed, in his arms, her back to his chest, watching the news report on his TV while he dozed lightly. Even though he'd taken a nap in headquarters, he was still very tired and she had assured him that she wanted to watch TV, so it was the perfect opportunity for him to get some much-needed rest.

Alec's eyes popped open as gunfire sounded on the nearly muted TV. He sighed, closing his eyes again and tightening his arms around Max. She responded by snuggling closer to his body and flipping off the TV with the remote.

"Are you awake?" She asked, turning so that she was facing him.

"Hmmm." He mumbled, opening his eyes enough to see that she wanted to talk to him. "What can I do for you, Maxie?" He asked, opening his eyes completely.

"Dix said that there was someone hanging around outside the fence last night. They didn't try to come in or anything though."

"That's weird. Where along the fence?"

"Close to here."

"Oh," he replied, biting his lower lip as he saw concern play across her face. "I'm sure it's nothing Max. Some Ordinary wanting to see some freaks up close and personal."

"I have a bad feeling about it, Alec."

He pulled her to his chest, resting a hand on her head and slowly moving his fingers through her hair. "Don't worry about it. I'll check into it tomorrow."

She nodded, breathing in his scent and liking that he knew how to calm her. She was getting sleepy from the way that he was running his fingers through her hair. Closing her eyes, she sighed contently.

The sound of a muffled crash was heard outside and both transgenics were on their feet instantly. Alec grabbed his Glock off of the night stand and moved toward the window. Max also crept up the window across the room. They both scanned the area, but saw nothing.

Suddenly, Max saw a man walking away from their building. The fact that he wasn't hurrying away was a bad sign, she thought. Cursing, she motioned for Alec to join her by the window.

"Max, do you smell that?" He asked, sniffing the air, while watching the man duck into the building across the street.

"Smoke." She said, slowly. The realization dawned on her. "Shit. He set the building on fire!"

"Get everyone out," Alec said, racing toward the door, not caring in the least that he was shirtless.

"Alec!" Max called, tossing him a white T-shirt when he spun around to face her. "Be careful!"

He smiled his thanks and they both ran to the stairway. Taking the stairs in one bound, Max disappeared through the door to the sixth floor while Alec continued down to the ground floor.

Alec blurred across the street and entered the building that he had seen the man go inside. He moved silently through the hallway, hoping to keep the element of surprise on his side. However, in the back of his mind, Alec knew that the man knew he was there.

"Alec!" A familiar voice called from the end of the hall.

Alec turned but saw no one there. He cautiously moved in that direction, keeping as quiet as possible.

"I know you're there, Alec. You might as well join me." The voice was coming from the last room on the right.

Alec stepped into the doorway, his Glock drawn. He scanned the room as his eyes also took in the threat.

There was a man crouching on the floor, over a box that Alec recognized immediately as a bomb. The man looked up at Alec.

"Ryan." His voice was harsh and his eyes were cold as he stared down at the transgenic that had betrayed him.

Ryan stood slowly, watching Alec closely for signs of attack. It was obvious that the other transgenic was barely controlling his rage.

"What are you doing here?" Alec asked, his stance becoming more aggressive.

"Well," Ryan scratched the back of his head and grinned, "you see, I got a peek at all those memories of yours and White sent me here to talk to you."

"So, you set my fucking apartment on fire?"

"Had to get your attention." He shrugged, forcing himself to relax. Alec wouldn't hurt him yet. He needed to know why Ryan was in TC first.

Alec's eyes narrowed. "I'm going to ask you one more time." He cocked the gun. "What are you doing here?"

"I need some information." Ryan said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. He flipped the switch and a small red light at the top of the box started to flash. It was matched by another light in the box, still on the floor. Alec pushed the memories of similar boxes to the back of his mind and focused on Ryan. "But first I need you to put down that gun. It's making me nervous."

"No deal." Alec ground out, aiming the Glock a bit more seriously.

"Okay, fine. That's your call, but remember that I hold your life in my hand." He gestured to the box with his other hand.

"Like you're going to blow yourself up." Alec said incredulously.

"Why not? I have nothing to live for." Ryan replied. "Sandi hates me. You hate me. Hell, everyone in Terminal City hates me. White's only keeping me around because he needs information from you. I blew my mission when I told everyone where you were. I'm as good as dead anyway."

Alec knew what he was saying was true. Ryan really did have nothing to live for. Combined with a bomb that was currently armed and waiting to be triggered, it said ‘Bad News.'

"What do you want to know?" Alec finally asked.

"Amidst all those lovely little videos of White's was an assassination..."

Alec interrupted. "They were all assassinations."

"But there's this one in particular that White is most interested in."

"Sandeman." Alec said unemotionally. It was obvious that White would want to know about Daddy-dearest's death. Well, not out of any familial attachment, but because Sandeman had talked to 494 just before his death. And without audio, White didn't know what the old man had told young 494.

"Very good, Alec, or should I call you 494?"

"Alec's fine." He said through clenched teeth. "But I'm not telling you what Sandeman said. It's none of your business."

"So you admit that Sandeman told you something?"

"Well, it's fucking obvious." Alec replied, throwing his hands up in the air.

"If you don't tell me, I'll be forced to take drastic measures." He gestured toward the bomb. "White no longer needs you alive. You've become expendable."

"What about all this?" Alec raised an eyebrow and gestured at the bomb at his feet. "Why make the effort to get it out of me at all?"

"We'll call it... curiosity."

"Call it Susan if you want; doesn't mean I'm going to tell you anything."

Ryan sighed. "I'm growing tired of this game, Alec. Just tell me so that I can go home and you can go back to your life."

"There's nothing waiting for you at home, Ryan." Alec said.

"True." The other man shrugged. "But there's plenty waiting for you. Either we both die or we both live, Alec. There's no other way."

Alec weighed his options. He had no doubts that Ryan would detonate the bomb and kill them both, but the bomb was relatively small. It would blow a nice chunk on the building out and probably bring it down. Alec's mind worked feverishly as he began to pace in front of the doorway.

"Time's a'wasting." Ryan said, his finger hovering over the detonator switch.

Alec stopped pacing and turned to face him. "I'm not telling you a damn thing."

"Is that your final answer?" Ryan asked, eyebrows raised.

"Damn straight."

"Well, then, I guess there's only one thing left to do." Ryan shrugged his shoulders and pressed the button. Instantly he was engulfed by flames as the bomb exploded.

~~! Three Days Later - Med. Center - Room 494 !~~

Max sat beside Alec, trying to get some sleep, but needing to just sit and watch him. So much had happened to him lately. She found herself wondering if it was ever going to stop; if a month would go by when he wouldn't have to spend a night in the infirmary.

She sighed, thinking back to the day of the explosion. By sheer luck, he had been standing in front of a window when the bomb detonated and was thrown through the window and away from the blast area. However, he had slammed into the ground at an alarmingly high speed and was now unconscious in the Medical Center. Max had refused to say the word coma, even though that's what Sandi was classifying it as.

Max's eyes fell to the oxygen mask that covered Alec's nose and mouth. It terrified her. Never before had he needed something like it for this amount of time. Even after his lung had been punctured by a bullet, he was off of the respirator and breathing on his own within twenty-four hours.

"Hey," Sandi said softly as she entered the room.

Max looked up, smiling grimly. "Hey," she replied, just as quietly.

"How's it going in here?" Sandi asked as she lifted Alec's wrist to take his pulse.

"Quiet."

"Yeah. His body is trying to heal itself and it's better if he's resting. As soon as he wakes up, he's going to want to run a marathon. This is his body's way of saying slow down."

"I would just feel better if he would wake up for a minute."

"I know you would. He should be waking up very soon though." Sandi assured her, trying to keep her own worry at bay. He should have woken up hours ago, days ago even. The longer this went on, the more worried she became.

"You said there was no sign of serious head injury, right?"

"He has a very severe concussion, Max. It's entirely possible that he might not wake up at all."

"No!" Max said vehemently. "He will wake up. He will be fine. He's Alec. He's always alright."

"Max," Sandi set her hand on Max's shoulder, trying to comfort her, but the younger woman just shook her off and leaned forward to brush the hair off of Alec's forehead for the millionth time that day.

"He'll be fine, Sandi. He has to be." Max said, hoping against hope that her words would be true.

A small sound, almost too soft to be heard, suddenly came from Alec's previously still form. His head moved as well, a slight motion back and forth, but undeniably there.

"Alec?" Max said, taking his right hand in hers. "Can you hear me?"

Another small sound, a groan this time, as Alec fought his way toward consciousness. However, after a moment, his body relaxed into sleep again. Max looked over at Sandi, a panicked expression on her face.

Sandi smiled, obviously finding this to be more of good sign than Max had. "He's trying to come back to us, Max."

"So, he's going to be okay?"

"I think he'll be just fine." Sandi smiled again, patting her shoulder, before leaving the room.

Max leaned back in her chair, allowing herself a small smile. Soon, he would be alright. Hell, he would always be alright. And she loved that about him.

~The End


End file.
